1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dip processor device suitable for coating of processing liquids such as the resist liquid and developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices for processing substrates one by one with processing liquid have been often used to enable the processes to be automatically and continuously carried out with no hand of the human being needed in the processes of coating photoresist film and developing the photoresist film thus formed in the course of manufacturing semiconductor devices.
These processor devices which have been well known are of the spin and dip types. When used as the developer device, for example, this processor device of the spin type has such an arrangement that the developer is supplied onto the substrate through nozzles and sprays located above the substrate to be processed. The amount of the developer which can be swelled on the substrate has a limit because of its surface tension. Further, the coating of the developer onto the substrate becomes sometimes irregular, depending upon the amount of the developer supplied. Furthermore, non-uniform development is likely to be caused by the impact of the developer against the substrate when it drops onto the substrate.
In the case of the processor device of the dip type, however, the impact of the developer against the substrate is lower. In addition, the swelling of the developer on the substrate can be attained quickly. Further, the height of the developer swelled on the substrate can be made larger. Particularly the dip processor device has become essential these days in the case where a developer whose surface tension is made low because of surface-active agent used is employed to enhance the resolution.
There have been well known the dip processor device wherein a cup means sealingly contacted with the underside of a substrate to be processed and having an inner space enough to enable the substrate to be fully dipprocessed is provided and when the cup means is contacted with the underside of the substrate, they cooperate to form a processing vessel.
When used as the developer device, this dip processor device includes a developer supply system located beside the substrate in the cup means to gradually supply the developer to the substrate to be processed. As shown in FIG. 1, the developer supply system includes ring-shaped outer circumferential groove 3 located beside substrate 1 in cup means 2. Developer supply tube 4 is connected to this outer circumferential groove 3 and slit-like nozzle 5 extends from outer circumferential groove 3 toward substrate 1. When arranged like this, developer 32 supplied to outer circumferential groove 3 can be supplied to substrate 1 in the processing vessel in all directions.
In the case of this developer device, however, developer 32 in outer circumferential groove 3 flows to the processing vessel after the supply of developer 32 is stopped. This allows air space 7 to be formed in outer circumferential groove 3. This air space 7 has almost no influence when the developer supply system is under operation to continuously feed developer 32 to the processing vessel, but when it is left inoperative for a long time, air space 7 becomes large, which causes the amount of the developer fed to become unstable. In addition, when the developer is fed, air is also fed together with the developer. In other words, the developer containing air bubbles therein is fed causing the development to be blurred.
Further, the nozzle is shaped like a slit in this developer device to reduce the loss of pressure when the developer is fed. When the nozzle is shaped like this, however, the developer fed into the processing vessel through this nozzle is likely to become non-, uniform.
Same thing can be said when the dip processor device is used as the resist film coating device, for example.